The Punjab Government has knocked on the doors of Supreme Court against state Governor Banwarilal Purohit for withholding three money Bills. The move comes even as some compromise on both sides is in the works over the convening of Vidhan Sabha session and getting the Bills passed.
The state government has already filed a petition in the apex court on Saturday and the case is expected to come up for a hearing on Monday. The Aam Aadmi Party Government in the state is going to the Supreme Court for the second time against the Governor, during its two-year rule in Punjab. The government had earlier approached the top court in February this year, after the Governor had refused to summon the Budget session.
Official sources in the Chief Ministers Office told The Tribune that a letter written by the office of Governor to the Secretary Vidhan Sabha, refusing to allow them permission to hold the two-day special sitting of the House on October 20-21, is the basis on which the government has approached the Supreme Court.
The office of Governor had declined the permission saying that the state government cannot hold a special sitting of the
House post adjournment of the House sine die and that such a session would be illegal and any business conducted in the session would be unlawful and an initio void.
The state government wanted to get three money Bills passed in the Vidhan Sabha, which were related to amendments in the GST Act, which amongst other things included setting up a GST Appellate Tribunal and imposition of GST on online games.
The special sitting was then held for a day on October 20, wherein Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had declared that his government would approach the Supreme Court, and that his government would not table any Bills in the current session. Since these money Bills have to be passed and implemented, the state government will have to convene the sitting or the session again this month.
